Beer Can Chicken

I'll have to give all of the credit for this creation to my father, as he is the barbecue master. Well, most of the credit anyway; it was I who gave him the cookbook with the recipe in it and bought him the chicken rack. Beer Can Chicken is a simple process of putting a whole chicken on a rack with a half-full beer can in the cavity of the chicken, resting in the pan underneath it. The recipe is started off by brining the chicken in salt water, rinsing it well, and patting it dry. Then rub it with a dry rub (the one we used was a mixture of brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper). Place it on the rack with the beer can and barbecue it! It was originally estimated that the chicken would take at least 2 1/2 hours to cook, but it was done within 1 1/2 hours. The only problem with this was that the rest of our meal was not ready. So we left it on the grill a little while longer, then put it in a roasting pan, covered it, and placed it on the hot stove to keep warm. Even though the chicken was slightly overcooked, it was still incredibly moist, tender, and juicy, even the breast. I'm not one for chicken skin, but the flavour was incredible from the rub, and it was very crispy too! The only regret I have is not buying another roasting rack, specifically designed for beer can chicken. I found it at a local grocery store in the clearout section for less than $3, but it did a surprisingly great job, and even came with a basting brush. I wish I had bought two, that way we could do two chickens at once! This bird turned out absolutely beautiful and delectable, and I hope my father will make it again. It can even be prepared similarly in the oven in the winter!